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The U.S. Open Serves More Mobile Fans With Help From IBM and Snapchat

IBM’s analytics and data technology help power mobile apps at the US Open

The Wall Street Journal

Like many media companies, when it comes to digital consumption, the U.S. Open has found that more than half of its audience consumes content using mobile devices.

So this year, the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the Open, is looking to cater to that smartphone-wielding fan base by engaging them with reams of real-time data, push notifications tied to specific locations at the event, and even Snapchat videos.

For example, IBM Interactive Experience, an ad consulting technology specialist formed last year by International Business Machines, provides all the digital design and back-end technology for the U.S. Open’s mobile apps. This year, those apps are increasingly featuring real-time analytics provided by IBM’s data team, which embeds 45 staffers at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center during the two week event.

IBM’s data helps identify key moments in matches, such as a career milestone for Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic’s average serve percentage against a particular opponent, helping fans have more informed experiences, said Nicole Jeter West, managing director of ticketing and digital strategy.

“For two weeks, our website and mobile apps generate about 50 times their normal traffic,” said Ms. Jeter West. “So it is really important that we have an infrastructure in place to accommodate that. The IBM folks really become part of our staff during the Open.”

Last year, IBM and the USTA started experimenting with placing 20 mobile beacons throughout the venue, through which they sent push notifications to fans’ mobile devices. This year, the two partners have doubled the number of beacons, which beam welcome greetings, venue information and restrained marketing messages, to people’s phones when they are standing near the beacons, said Paul Papas, global leader at IBM Interactive Experience.

Naturally, IBM’s presence at the Open serves to alert attending fans about the company’s data, cloud computing and enterprise expertise–like any good consumer advertising. But Mr. Papas said that IBM’s U.S. Open partnership can be equally as valuable for helping demonstrate for prospective clients from other sports leagues and industries like retail the potential of using IBM’s mobile technology, data and analytics.

“We do bring lots of clients there [during the tournament's two weeks], especially companies from the banking and retail world” he said. “They all want to push the envelope in terms of customer experience. And they all want to turn customers into fans for their brands.”

The USTA encouraged patrons attending the tournament’s opening night to create and share videos via Snapchat, which compiled the best clips into a Live Story which all Snapchat users could watch. That first video reached 10 million unique viewers, said a Snapchat spokesperson. A second U.S. Open Live Snapchat story is planned for the women’s final on Sept. 12– which will be sponsored by Chase.